A lot of times, restaurants in particular don’t really have any difficulty keeping a steady stream of new customers flowing in the door during the holiday season. But for many, January is historically the beginning of a slow period… but that is NOT something you have to let happen to you.
In fact, by slightly adjusting the way you build your marketing strategy as we go into the New Year, you can keep your restaurant busy before, during and AFTER the holidays, too!
Post-Holiday Restaurant Marketing: Here’s What You Need to Know
By far, one of the best ways to empower your restaurant marketing is to start running birthday promotions using targeted direct mail. Not only is this an effective way to build customer loyalty, but it’s a great way to generate excitement among all of those January and February birthdays, too. Use the data you’ve already collected about your clients to single these people out via your marketing strategy. You could even offer further discounts by providing them with an additional promo to share with a friend or loved one. Plastic postcards with gift card pop-outs are the perfect way to send both a birthday AND referral promotion, all in one direct mail campaign.
Some other marketing opportunities in January include participating in Restaurant Week by offering a prix-fixe, 3-course menu of your signature dishes, giving new customers a chance to try your delicious cuisine at a discounted rate. Or consider offering a special health-conscious menu that also includes interesting mocktails (think New Year’s resolutions). Additionally, if your restaurant is located in an area that limits your customers ability to travel due to winter weather conditions, you could focus on delivery options that allow them to comfortably enjoy your hot and tasty meals in the comfort of their own home.
Regardless of what promotions you decide on, we always recommend using plastic postcards to advertise your unique offerings as the shelf-life on these types of materials is incredibly good. Including an expiration date of around 90 days gives your customers the freedom to plan a lovely meal while keeping a steady flow of business coming through your doors. We’ve also found that shorter timeframes only result in lower response rates, which is something you don’t want to let happen to you.
Likewise, work with the right partner like DynamiCard to make sure your promo materials go out exactly when they need to. Our marketing experts will guide you through the process and coordinate your campaign so that your items hit mailboxes at the precise moment you want them to.
If you truly want to make sure that your foot traffic doesn’t die down after the first of the year, this is exactly how you do it.
If you’re ready to keep your restaurant busy AFTER the holidays and not just DURING them, or if you’d like to sit down and discuss your own needs with an expert in a bit more detail, please don’t delay – contact us today.